The present invention relates to a line spool assembly for mounting on a spindle in an open-face fishing reel of the fixed-spool type.
A line spool assembly of this type is known from, for instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,602. This prior-art assembly comprises a line spool which has a central portion on which a line is wound, and two radially projecting end flanges which are located on both sides of the central portion.
The line spool is rotatably mounted on a hollow shaft which is non-rotatably connected to a spindle in an open-face fishing reel of the fixed-spool type. The hollow shaft is passed over the spindle and retained thereon by resilient means provided on the front end portion of the spindle. A push button in the form of a sleeve is axially displaceable on the front end of the spindle. When the shaft and the line spool mounted thereon should be removed from the spindle, the push button is pressed inwards a distance on the spindle so as to release the resilient means from the shaft such that the shaft can be drawn off the spindle.
A line spool drag for adjustable braking of the rotation of the line spool around the shaft has a first drag washer, which is non-rotatably connected to the line spool and engages the rear side of its rear end flange, a second drag washer, which is non-rotatably connected to the shaft and engages a rear stop lug thereon, and a friction washer, which is provided between the drag washers in frictional engagement therewith. An adjusting knob for adjusting the braking effect of the line spool drag is screwed on the front end of the shaft. The force by which the washers of the line spool drag are pressed against each other determines the braking effect exerted on the line spool during its rotation around the shaft. This force is set by rotation of the adjusting knob, which when rotating in a direction corresponding to an increasing braking effect presses the line spool backwards on the shaft and, thus, increases the compression force exerted on the washers.
In its front portion, the line spool has a central recess which accommodates a click mechanism, which produces a click sound when the adjusting knob is rotated. A ball bearing for rotatable mounting of the line spool on the shaft is also arranged in this recess. A buzz mechanism is arranged behind the rear end flange of the line spool to produce a buzz sound when the line spool rotates around the shaft.
When the line spool mounted on the spindle of the fishing reel is to be replaced by a new line spool for e.g. fishing with a line, which has a different thickness than the line wound on the first-mentioned line spool, or, for instance, for replacing the first-mentioned line spool with a line spool, whose central portion has a different depth or whose end flanges are designed in a different manner, the push button is pressed as described above, whereupon the assembly consisting of the line spool and the shaft is removed from the spindle. Also the mechanisms included in this assembly are removed, i.e. the brake-mechanism (line spool drag), the click mechanism and the buzz mechanism, which implies that also the new line spool must constitute part of an assembly, in which, in addition to a shaft, such mechanisms are also included. This means that the replacement assemblies are fairly complicated and, thus, expensive.